Memories
by Rikasa
Summary: Rin can't remember her past. Len can't find the meaning in his life. Miku is abused by her parents. When these three come together, can they solve each others' problems? Will they form a bond that will create precious memories, or will they shatter each others' hearts?
1. Chapter 1

**Hi everyone! This is my second fanfiction, first Vocaloid story, and also first multi-chapter story. So sorry if it's bad... XD**

**Also, this is the FIRST story of a series of THREE stories. Since I am making TWO SEQUELS, I am going to save some of the vocaloid characters for later, AS WELL AS TAKE THE RIN X LEN THING VERY SLOWLY. So don't get mad, please...:3**

**Understand? Yeah? Good. Ok, here we go...**

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own Vocaloid or any of the characters.**

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><p><strong><span>Chapter 1<span>**

**Rin's POV**

_"Rin! RIN!"_

_ Tears streamed down the five-year-old's face as he watched his best friend get struck. He screamed her name in horror, feeling helpless. The little girl had pushed him out of the way, and took the hit for herself. The white car, now stained red with blood, abruptly stopped. As the headlights flashed, the little girl crumpled to the ground, unconscious._

With a start, I sat up in bed. My heart thumped like crazy, and sweat trickled down my forehead. Still dazed from my strange dream, I rubbed the sleepiness from my eyes and looked at my clock.

_7:00 a.m._

I quickly got out of my bed and put on my new school uniform. It was quite simple, consisting only of a collared, white blouse and a short, checkered, red skirt. After brushing my teeth, I looked at the bathroom mirror. Shoulder-length blond hair framed my face. Like usual, I clipped up my bangs with four white hairclips-two on each side-and put on a large white bow. Piercing, bright-turquoise eyes gazed back at me from the mirror, outlined with thick lashes. I had full, pink lips and rosy cheeks. If I had not been homeschooled from kindergarten until now, I would probably have many friends.

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><p>As I walked down the sidewalk, carrying a book bag, I pondered what school would be like. For some reason, my father suddenly decided that I needed to start going to a real school, but he didn't tell me why. Still, I wondered what my father could possibly be thinking. Why would he transfer me to a high school in the middle of the year, and not the beginning? Besides, I was already in tenth grade, so I would charge straight from homeschooling to a battlefield of AP classes, SAT curriculums, and rivals who would challenge me for an acceptable college. Of course, he probably didn't care what I thought, but still...<p>

I rounded a corner and saw my new school: Vocaloid High. It was extremely large and well-built, painted white and gray. Obviously, this school had many students, since it was already so crowded and busy this early in the morning.

As soon as I stepped onto campus, I noticed that the crowd seemed to cluster around one certain area. Weaving my way through, I looked to see what was at the center. Instantly, my eyes were drawn to five students. I could tell that they were the most popular group of the school. In the middle of this cluster, there were two students who were apparently the absolute core of the whole school's social life. One of them was a pretty girl with a slender figure and long, teal pigtails; the other was a tall boy with golden-blond hair. Currently, he was being attacked by a large horde of screaming fan girls.

Losing interest, I decided to go and wander around the school until the bell rang. Just as I started to move, the boy turned around and gazed at me. When I finally looked back at him, his eyes widened and his face paled. The back of my neck tingled ominously, and an uncomfortable feeling crept over me. The boy's many friends and fan girls started to turn their attention to me. They whispered to each other, probably wondering who in the word I was.

Suddenly, the bell rang, and I instantly broke my gaze with the boy and walked quickly to my first class.

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><p>"Good morning, everyone! We have a new student today," Miss Megpoid, my new homeroom teacher, announced. Her light green hair was tied up in a bun, and her glasses glinted in a friendly manner. The students in the class perked up and looked around; I was standing in the doorway. She gestured for me to step forward and mouthed, <em>introduce yourself.<em>

I smoothed out my skirt and walked to the front of the room. My heart was drumming against my chest, and I almost trembled with nervousness. Trying to appear calm and sophisticated, I wiped all emotion off my face-if there were any in the first place-and took a deep breath.

"I'm Kagane Rin. It's nice to meet you," I said.

Miss Megpoid smiled reassuringly and pointed me to an empty seat. Then, I sat down and took my books out, trying to ignore everyone's stares.

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><p>As the dismissal bell rang, I immediately gathered my books into my bag and left the classroom. Walking outside, I weaved my way through crowds of students, when someone suddenly grabbed me by my elbow.<p>

"I-I think we've met before…" It was the popular boy.

Up close, I realized why he was so popular. The boy's deep blue eyes were striking, and resembled the ocean. His windblown hair was tied into a casual ponytail, and bangs fell into his face in a carefree manner. Although his uniform was clean and neat-consisting of a simple white collared shirt and long, black pants- his posture was relaxed and calm. I noticed a gleaming, golden badge on his shirt. It was round and had the letters _CC_ carved onto it.

As we made eye contact once again, I suddenly felt dizzy. He was so…familiar. But I couldn't remember where I had met him before.

"It's Kagane-san, right? My name is Kagamine Len, and I'm also in Miss Megpoid's homeroom," he said.

With a start, I realized he was still holding onto my arm. Also, many people-including his fan girls-were starting to gather, and they stared at us like they were watching a violent but interesting tennis match.

Mustering up my best poker-face, I replied coolly, "Sorry, but you've got the wrong person. Now please let go of me. I have to leave."

"I-I'm sorry…" he stepped back and lowered his head.

Without a second glance at him or his friends, I swiftly left campus and walked home.

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><p><strong>YAY I finally finished! :D <strong>

**Please review, everyone, and stay tuned for Chapter 2! Thank you!**

**~Rikasa**


	2. Chapter 2

**Ok, peeps, this is Chapter 2! Read and enjoy! :) (Yeah, I know that sounds lame, but what else am I supposed to say?)**

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own Vocaloid or any of the characters.**

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><p><span><strong>Chapter 2<strong>

**Rin's POV**

_Two weeks later:_

There were many strange things about Vocaloid High.

One of them was that there was no student council. Instead, there was a student organization called Crypton Club, which substituted as the absent student council, but only had five members. The group of popular kids I saw on my first day? All of them, and only them, were members of Crypton Club.

To be a member of Crypton Club, one had to be at least a tenth grader, an honor-roll student, have elite grades of 99.5% or higher, and have a spotlessly clean record. Because the few members of the club worked so hard in supporting the school, they were treated very respectfully, and they were even favored and given special privileges by teachers.

The president and founder of Crypton Club was a tenth grader called Hatsune Miku, and the vice-president was tenth grader Kagamine Len-the very boy I had brushed off coolly that day. _Oops. _The other members were eleventh graders Megurine Luka and Kamui Gackupo, and twelfth grader Kagamine Neru-the older sister of Kagamine Len.

I thought that Vocaloid High was quite enjoyable, if it _was_ a little boring. My father homeschooled me for most of my life. He was a strict man who demanded great potential from me, so I learned Algebra when I was seven, Trigonometry when I was eight, Physics when I was ten, and so on. Because of this, I almost fell asleep every day during school, bored to death with the overwhelmingly easy lessons.

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><p>After the long-awaited dismissal bell rang, I packed up. Just as I prepared to stand up, I was suddenly aware that everyone in the room was staring at me. Confused and embarrassed, I wondered what they were staring at, until I looked up and saw Hatsune Miku walking in the direction of my desk.<p>

She was extremely pretty, with a slim, petite figure and long, teal hair held up in high pigtails. Her eyes were also teal, slightly lighter than the shade of her hair. They were large and framed with thick lashes. Hatsune's nose and lips looked delicate, and with her pale skin, she looked like a porcelain doll. Like a typical honor-roll student, she wore the traditional school uniform, along with black stockings that went all the way up to her thighs. Also, she wore a golden badge with the initials _CC_, similar to the other members of Crypton Club.

Up until now, I hadn't greeted her in person, or had anything to do with her, so I almost leapt out of my chair in surprise. What could the most popular girl in school possibly want to do with me?

"Good afternoon, Kagane-san," she said in a business-like tone. "Do you have a minute?"

I hesitated, and then nodded.

"I've heard that you are an honor-roll student with all of your grades above 99.5%. Are you aware of the Crypton Club?" Hatsune-san asked.

Once again, I dumbly nodded, not sure where she was going with all this. I was starting to feel uncomfortable from all of the attention I was getting from the people who were present.

"As the president of Crypton Club, it is my responsibility to manage the activities and campaigns, as well as keep an eye out for new, potential members," Hatsune continued, and handed me a small, flat box.

Carefully taking the box, I opened the lid. Inside was a brand-new badge, just like the ones that Crypton Club members owned. I glanced back up at Hatsune-san and raised my eyebrows.

"After a conference yesterday, we decided that we need your aptitude and commitment to help support Vocaloid High. Please join us as a member of Crypton Club, Kagane-san," the girl said.

Behind me, I heard people gasp and whisper to each other.

"Wow, I wish _I _were a member of Crypton Club!"

"B-But…she's _new_! THAT IS _SO_ UNFAIR!"

"OH MY GOSH, SHE'S JOINING CRYPTON CLUB! _THE_ CRYPTON CLUB!"

Hatsune-san tilted her head. "Well? What is your decision?"

I opened my mouth, and closed it again. No way could this be happening. Since when did I become a popular kid? I didn't _want _to be popular! There was too much unwanted attention, especially for someone like me, who was homeschooled and had very few friends. Also, I've heard that the more friends someone had, the less close they were to each individual friend, and the more enemies they had. I didn't want any fake friends, _or _enemies!

"Thanks, but no thanks. I don't want to be a member of Crypton Club," I replied in the smoothest voice I could manage. I closed the lid of the box and handed it back to her.

Hatsune-san recoiled in shock, and everyone suddenly burst out talking at once.

"What?! She _rejected?_ How could she? Doesn't she know what she just gave up?"

"Humph! She doesn't deserve to be a member, anyway! SCREW HER!"

"UNBELIVABLE! SOMEONE JUST REFUSED TO JOIN CRYPTON CLUB! _THE _CRYPTON CLUB!"

At the same time, Hatsune and I spun around to face them, and shouted, "BE QUIET! WE'RE TRYING TO TALK HERE!"

Suddenly, the room was so quiet that one could hear a pin drop.

Hatsune sighed and turned back to me. "So…you _don't _want to join Crypton Club."

I drummed my fingers across the dark wooden surface of my desk, avoiding eye contact with her.

"…I understand your choice, and I will inform the other members right away. Thank you for your time," she said politely, and quickly walked out the door.

I narrowed my eyes in suspicion. There was no way that she'd give up so easily on something like this. Was she plotting something?

Without the popular girl, the piercing stares of the students instantly shifted to me, completely. They gazed at me so hard that their eyes followed me creepily as I grabbed my bag, stood up, and left the room.

* * *

><p>I was about five feet from the edge of campus when someone stopped me in my tracks.<p>

Megurine Luka. She was a tall, athletic eleventh grader, and also a popular member of Crypton Club. Long, pink hair cascaded to her waist and sky-blue eyes gazed serenely at me. Her school uniform complimented her curvy figure, and on her chest, a golden _CC _badge gleamed in the afternoon sunlight.

"Good afternoon, _Rin-chan_. My name is Megurine Luka, but you may call me Luka-chan. Nice to meet you," Megurine-san flashed a brilliant smile and held out her hand for me to shake.

Hatsune Miku…how clever of her.

* * *

><p><strong>Good job, Miku! <strong>

**If you haven't realized it yet, after Rin declined her offer to join Crypton Club, Miku went and told Luka. So now _Luka's _going to try and force-*ahem* nicely ask-Rin to join. And Luka. NEVER. FAILS. EVER. XD**

**Please review, everyone, and stay tuned for Chapter 3! Thank you!**

**~Rikasa**


	3. Chapter 3

**Ok, peeps, here's Chapter 3! **

**On a side note, if some of you think this story is too happy, uneventful, or boring, I should tell you that CHAPTERS 1 AND 2 ARE _FILLER_ CHAPTERS. When I typed up the story, I decided that it was too stiff and formal, so I added the Crypton Club as a trivial thing that would cause comedy. Anyway, if you're tired of the overly happy uneventfulness, then just wait for Chapter 4. If you want BLOOD, wait for Chapter 5! You have NO idea how many characters I will torture and murder-ahem, I mean nicely give the spotlight to. XD (That was NOT a spoiler, just telling you that this story isn't as happy as it seems...)**

**Ok, here it goes...**

**DISCLAIMER: Unfortunately, I do not own Vocaloid or any of the characters. I probably never will. PROBABLY...**

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><p><span><strong>Chapter 3<strong>

**Rin's POV:**

As I walked down the long hallway, students on either side looked at me and whispered. I sighed and started my daily mental countdown.

5…

4…

3…

2…

1…

"RIN-CHAN! GOOD MORNING!" I suddenly found myself being strangled by a tall girl with long pink hair.

"O-oh! Good m-morning, Megurine-san…" I managed to whisper, while choking from my lack of oxygen.

She let go of me and pouted. "That's mean! You should call me Luka-chan by now, since we're friends and all."

I rubbed the back of my neck and mumbled agreement. Then, completely ignoring everyone's ogling stares, we walked down the hall together.

There are many people in this world with split personalities. Megurine…no, Luka-chan, was definitely one of them. Usually, while making first impressions and speaking to the public as a proud member of Crypton Club, she was calm and reserved. With her friends, she showed her true self, which was hyper and crazy. Truth be told, I wasn't sure which personality I liked better.

As the bell rang, Luka said, "See you at lunch, Rin-chan!" and marched away. I smiled, marveling at her cheerfulness. I couldn't wait until lunch, when I could finally eat in some random corner of the school, alone and-wait. Did Luka just say that she was going to see me at lunch?!

* * *

><p>"RING!" I sat back up in my seat and stifled a yawn. Then, I got up and headed to my locker, getting my lunch box. Just as I slammed the door shut and turned around, I was nearly strangled-for the second time today- by a certain, overenthusiastic friend.<p>

"There you are! Now, let's go to lunch!" Luka said, and started to half drag, half carry me to wherever she was going.

As we passed other students, they stared so hard that their eyes seemed to pop out.

"Since when did that girl become a friend of a Crypton member?"

"Is she trying to worm her way into the club?"

"No, she isn't! Don't you remember? She's the same girl who rejected the offer to join by Hatsune-sama!"

"Then why is she clinging to Megurine-sama?!"

Luka turned around and looked at me. She came to a stop. "Um…what's wrong?"

I looked at my feet and squirmed. "Um…are you sure you want me to eat lunch with you and your friends? Other people will gossip and get mad at me, and you might ruin your reputation…"

For three heartbeats, there was silence.

When I couldn't stand it anymore, I looked up at Luka from the corner of my eye. _She. Was. Crying._

"O-oh…Rin-chan! I never knew you were such a sweet, kind girl! To sacrifice your own pleasant lunchtime for your friend! That is the cutest thing I've ever seen in my life! You are _so _adorable! I'm DEFINITELY letting you eat lunch with me and my friends now!" Luka grabbed me into a bone-crushing hug.

"You _will_ come eat lunch with us, right?" Her eyes started to fill up with tears again, and her lip quivered.

"Um…okay?" I said unsurely.

Instantly, Luka's face lit up with a smile-was she faking her tears?!-and she started to drag me along again.

* * *

><p>Luka led me to a part of the school that I've never been before. It was hidden from view, as well as separated from the rest of the school. We stopped at a brick wall, covered in flowers and leaves. Luka brushed aside a few long vines, revealing a wooden door underneath.<p>

"Okay, here we go," Luka said. She opened the door and stepped inside, leaving me no other choice but to follow her in.

"…" With my jaw dropping, I gawked at the place where Crypton members had lunch every day. Luka told me that they also held meetings here during school, about once every week. It was a beautiful garden, surrounded on all sides by brick walls. The walls were completely covered in vines and flowers, as well as obscured by many trees and bushes. With lush, green grass and a fountain gurgling merrily in a corner, the garden looked like the perfect place to have a picnic. In the center of the garden was a patio, and in the center of the patio was a circular lunch table with five people eating at it.

"Okay, everyone, listen up! This is Kagane Rin, the newest member of Crypton Club!" Luka announced.

"EH?! Since when was I a member of Crypton Club?" I squeaked.

"Soon…" Luka said ominously.

At the seat farthest away from me sat Kagamine Len. Hesitantly, he said, "Hi, I'm Kagamine Len, grade ten. I'm the vice president of Crypton Club, and I hope you join…" We locked eyes for an awkward moment, and then looked away at the same time.

Across from him sat his sister, Neru. She had glossy, blonde hair tied up in a side ponytail, and was apparently texting on her phone while eating. Kagamine put down her phone and turned around, blinking her calm, golden eyes. "I am Len's older sister, Kagamine Neru. I'm in grade twelve, as well as the head of the school robotics and computer programming clubs. If you have any trouble with your technological devices, come to me!"

Two chairs away from Neru sat Kamui, who was tall and athletic. His long purple hair was tied up in a ponytail, and his posture was relaxed yet vigilant, like a sword fighter. He was Luka's boyfriend, but I thought that his presence was the slightest bit intimidating. "Nice to meet you! My name is Kamui Gackupo, and I'm an eleventh grader. I'm the captain of the soccer team and founder of the fencing club," Kamui said, then continued eating what looked like a giant eggplant.

Between the Kagamine siblings, Hatsune Miku sat in her seat, dignified and formal like a princess. Slowly, she raised her shrewd gaze to me, and the corners of her mouth twitched upward in a small smile. "You already know me, I'm Hatsune Miku. It seems that Luka really wants you to join our club, huh?"

"…" Not knowing what to say, I just stood there like an idiot.

Luka nudged me, and inclined her head towards the lunch table. Then she marched to the empty seat between Kamui and Neru, sat down, and started to eat.

Clutching my lunch box to my chest, I kept my head down and shuffled over to the only empty seat left-next to Kagamine Len. I sat down and tried to eat as quietly as I could.

* * *

><p>As soon as I finished eating, I looked up, wondering if I should stay or leave. Kagamine blew his golden bangs out of his eyes and smiled shyly.<p>

"So…"

"Yeah…"

"Cool…"

"Right…"

"Are you done eating? Great! NOW WE CAN TALK ABOUT YOU JOINING CRYPTON CLUB!" Luka suddenly stood up and yelled.

"Uh…n-no." I stuttered.

"RIN-CHAN! Why don't you want to join? Are you worried that other people will get jealous? THEN I'LL…I'LL MURDER-"

"Kagane-san, please_ do_ join Crypton Club. We really want to be your friends, and with your help, we can support the school better," Kamui cut in.

"Also, if you don't join, there's no telling what Luka would do…" Neru said mildly, while texting rapidly on her cell phone.

"B-but…I-I don't know-" I stopped talking when someone grabbed my hand and placed a badge in it.

"Like it or not, you're an official member of Crypton Club, starting next week. You had BETTER wear your badge to school, or else…" Luka threatened.

"…"

"…"

"…Whatever," I said, which was responded to by five people cheering noisily.

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><p><strong>Whew! What a relief! I NOW OFFICIALLY DECLARE THE FILLER CHAPTER ARC OVER! NOW LET'S GET STARTED WITH THE TRUE ACTION!<strong>

**Please review, everyone, and stay tuned for Chapter 4! Thank you!**

**~Rikasa**


	4. Chapter 4

**Hi. Dunno what to say. OK, here we go.**

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own Vocaloid or any of the characters. Too bad, so sad.**

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><p><span><strong>Chapter 4<strong>

**Len's POV:**

"Ok, people, school's dismissed, so…LET'S GET TO WORK!" Luka yelled happily.

"Our task is tending all of the plants on campus today," Neru explained. "There are six of us, so I think that we should split up into groups of two. Each group gets its own part of the school, and is responsible for all of the plants there. How about I write down all of our names down on paper, and do a drawing to randomly pick our partners? That way, there will be no arguing about who gets to work with whom."

Everyone nodded while grabbing their plant-tending tools. Our task was to water the flowers, cut shrubs, plant some new seeds, and pick up litter.

"Here are the pairings." Neru announced. "They are Luka-chan and Gackupo-kun, Miku-chan and I, and Rin-chan and Len."

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><p>The late afternoon sunlight made the water sparkle as it trickled out of Kagane-san's watering can, onto the fresh, glinting soil. My heavy shovel made a dull thud as it dug into the dirt, and I carefully planted the seeds as neatly as possible.<p>

"…"

"…"

"Um, Kagamine-san…" Kagane started shyly.

"Y-yes?" I responded, just as shyly.

"I-I wanted to apologize for that day. You know, when said that you knew me, and I brushed you off. S-sorry, I guess I was a little rude." She stammered.

"O-oh! I'm sorry too. I thought you were… someone I used to know. When I saw you again, I thought you were annoyed with me." I replied truthfully.

Kagane-san set down her watering can, and turned around to face me. "Well…I was really nervous, since it was my first day going to a real school. And when I'm nervous, I tend to act a little…aloof. Also, I thought you were a…playboy, or something. N-no offense!"

Dropping the shovel, I burst out laughing, so hard that I clutched my stomach and gasped for air. Kagane-san hesitated for a second, and then joined in.

* * *

><p>As the sun set, we finished tending the plants in our area and headed back to the garden. Walking with Kagane in silence, I pondered about her. She looked just like that girl back then…<p>

I used to have a friend many years ago, when I was about five. Because of me, she…no, I couldn't think about it. All I knew was that she and Kagane couldn't be the same person. It just wasn't possible. The girl was most likely dead. Even if she was alive, by some microscopic chance, she would hate me with all her heart, for what I had done to her.

Up to this day, I was still weighed down with immense, grief-stricken feelings. The girl wasn't the only one I had killed. There used to be a boy, who was in love with Neru…but thanks to me, they would never see each other again.

As we came back to the garden, meeting up with everyone else, I forced down my guilty thoughts. Instead, I plastered a smile on my face, like always. My smile was fake. My life and happiness was fake. _I _was fake! Every day, I would bury the sorrow deep in my heart, and cover it with a thin film of false happiness. I couldn't let Neru see. I had put her through enough already…

Neru…my loving, caring sister. She didn't deserve a horrible family member like me. She always acted so kind and mature, like the older sister of everyone in Crypton Club. But I knew that her heart was broken permanently. What had I done to her?

"GUYS, LOOK! RIN-CHAN AND LENNY ARE HERE! NOW WE CAN HAVE LOTS OF FUN TOGETHER!" Kagane and I suddenly found ourselves being strangled by someone with pink hair.

"Yes, let's party, everyone." Kamui remarked sarcastically behind her. Sitting at the lunch table, next to Neru, he was showing her his phone, saying that it was dead. Neru took it and smirked. Two seconds later, she handed the phone right back to him, good as new.

Miku was sitting across from them, doing homework. She seemed oddly quiet today, even compared to usual.

The six of us usually did this once every week. We would go around campus, cleaning or tending the plants, and then we would stay in the garden until around 4:00 or 5:00.

One by one, the Crypton members started to leave, until it was just Kagane, Miku, and me.

* * *

><p>As the sky started to darken, we stood in the middle of the garden, not knowing what to say.<p>

"It seems that Crypton Club always has a lot of work to do, huh?" Kagane tried to break the awkward silence. "This school doesn't hire adults to do the labor, and lets honor-roll prodigy students do it instead?"

I chuckled. "They _do_ hire workers to do the jobs, but…they're not that good. There's always a bunch of leftover work, which is up to Crypton Club to finish. I mean…_someone_ has to look after our campus, right?"

As Kagane and I made carefree small talk to each other, Miku stayed silent. Her face had no expression on it, and although she gazed at us, she seemed to be looking at something else.

"Miku-chan, are you okay?" I said.

Miku shrugged. "I guess I'm just a little tired. No problem."

Kagane-san checked her watch, and gasped. "Oh, it's already dinnertime! I have to leave now. See you on Monday!" Then she turned around and sprinted away.

The atmosphere seemed slightly lonely now. Sighing, I sat down on the soft grass, gazing at the blood-red sun. Only half of it could be seen over the dark tree-tops.

The grass rustled as someone sat down beside me, also facing the setting sun. I turned around to face her. Miku-chan rested her head on her palms, and gazed into the distance. Her teal-colored bangs cast dark shadows over her face, so I couldn't see her expression.

"Len-kun…," she said softly.

"Yeah?"

"What…What do you think of Kagane-san?" Miku inquired. She titled her head slightly upward, with her bangs still covering her eyes.

I hesitated, wondering why she would ask a question like this. "...I think that Kagane-san is a nice person. I'm glad that she joined us. She seems like a good friend."

After a brief but awkward silence, Miku abruptly stood up. "It's getting late now, so I should leave. Bye." She turned away from me and swiftly walked away, never showing me her face.

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><p><strong>That's all for now. No, I'm not tired or anything, I just don't feel like using exclamation points right now. XD I have split personalities. Like Luka.<strong>

**BTW next chapter is going to be in Miku's POV. Tell me what you think of her, as a jealous love rival of Rin's, or as a quiet, mysterious person.**

**Please review, everyone, and stay tuned for Chapter 5. Thank you. (Ha, told you I don't feel like using exclamation points right now.)**

**~Rikasa**


	5. Chapter 5

**Here it is...Chapter 5! Yes, it's in Miku's POV, so you can see whether or not she's jealous of Rin. And yes, it has a _tiny _bit of violence in it.**

**DISCLAIMER: Someday, I'll take over the world and everything in it. But in the meantime, I do not own Vocaloid or any of the characters.**

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><p><span><strong>Chapter 5<strong>

**Miku's POV**

_No…please…don't hurt me…PLEASE!_

On Saturday morning, I woke up at five-thirty a.m., lying on the floor of the filthy kitchen and covered in dust and bruises. Pale sunlight streamed through the unwashed windows, and as I lifted up my head, I felt a trickle of blood trail down my cheek. My hair was tangled and plastered to my face with sweat, and my clothes were in tatters. With my body aching so much that I could barely move, I tried to stand up but fell to the floor again, groaning. It seemed that yesterday, I received a harder beating from him than normal…

_As soon as I got home, I went to my bedroom and put my backpack away. I was in a good mood for once. Kagane Rin had just joned Crypton Club, and was becoming a close friend of ours. The only doubt I had, was…she seemed familiar. Too familiar for me to trust her. Just looking at her face made me seem guilty, for some reason. On top of that, she seemed too close to Len. It wasn't like I didn't want them to be friends; it was just that it seemed strange how quickly they struck up a friendship. Rin and Len…have they met each other before?_

_ I had spent most of the week at my best friend's house, to avoid my parents. Yesterday, since it was Friday, I decided to go back home for the weekend. She had already helped me enough, even though she didn't go to my school._

_ "Are you sure you'll be okay?" my caring friend had asked me, eyebrows furrowed with worry. "You can spend the rest of the weekend with us, you know. Also, my mom thinks that we should call the police."_

_ At that time, I had foolishly laughed and shook my head. "No, I think I should give him another chance…no matter what, he's my father, and I'm sure that he actually loves me, deep within his heart. I just have to keep trying to warm up to him. Someday, he'll come to…"_

_ She knew from experience that I was stubborn, too stubborn to argue with. She nodded reluctantly, and added, "Good luck. If anything happens, call me, and my dad will come over and pick you up."_

Why? Why was I so stupid? How could I think that my drunken father would ever treat me properly?

_The pounding footsteps made me tremble, and my good mood instantly faded. Would he…would he beat me again? Or could I hope for a change?_

_ The answer came when the door was flung wide open, and my hair was seized roughly, so hard that my pigtails came loose. SMACK! I winced as the searing pain spread up my thighs. SMACK! Now it was the middle of my back. SMACK! SMACK! SMACK! I gasped for breath as I felt fire creeping up my body._

_ SMACK! I saw my mother in the doorway. With an indifferent expression on her face, she shrugged and left. _

_No, I wouldn't cry or scream. I would NOT give him the sick pleasure of seeing me in pain._

_ My teary eyes widened as I saw him reach for his leather belt._

Sobbing to no one, I knelt down on the floor and cursed at how pitiful I was. What did I do to deserve this?

My parents were out at who-knows-where, and they would not come back for at least a few hours, most likely. With shallow breaths, I crept to the front door and slowly opened it.

Only to be met by a fist that sent me sprawling.

"Where d'ya think you're goin', girl?" The dreaded voice sent chills up my spine. "ANSWER ME!"

"I-I…just wanted some fresh air…" I mumbled.

"LIAR! You wanted to go to that worthless friend of yers, eh? Wanted to call the police? Call them! Call them, and the last thing I'll do is scar yer pretty little face so badly that she'll never wanna look at you again! No, how 'bout I scar _her_ face! I can burn her house and kill her parents!"

"P-please! You can do anything to me! Just don't hurt them!" I begged in vain as he dragged me by my ear and threw me to the ground. My mother, still standing at the doorway, tucked her short brown hair behind her ears. Shutting the door, she walked right past where I was being beaten, and into the master bedroom.

I curled up in pain, coughing out blood and seeing spots. Deciding it wasn't enough, he kicked me in the stomach. _Hard._

"That should teach an ungrateful kid like you a lesson! Don't go speakin' to yer elders in such a disrespectful way," his foul breath, stale with alcohol, made me gag on my own blood.

SMACK! SMACK! SMACK! "Why don't you scream? You want more? I'll give you-"

He was interrupted by the sound of the front door opening, and someone gasping in horror.

* * *

><p>"…Idiot," a voice scolded me.<p>

I opened up my eyes, and realized I was on a comfortable, clean bed, wrapped in bandages. My best friend, IA Yowane, was standing next to me, with her arms crossed. This was her room. Although she was a year younger than me, she often acted like my older sister, always looking after me and making sure I was alright. Her silvery, platinum-blond hair flowed down all the way to her feet, and her piercing blue eyes glared at me as if wondering why I was so stupid.

"…"

"…"

"You know…my parents have been thinking…this _can't _go on. We HAVE to call the police," she said.

"B-but…"

"No buts. This is child abuse, it's against the law, and it has to stop. Why didn't you tell me it was this bad? I never knew, or I would have gotten you out of there much sooner! You can trust us, Miku. You're like a daughter to my parents, and we will always protect you. After the police deals with your…your _parents_, we'll adopt you. Then, you don't ever have to worry about them again," she placed her hands on her hips, as if daring me to refuse such a sensible offer.

I took the dare and shook my head. "Thank you, IA…but I can't. Your family is just so…so perfect, and I can't ruin that! Besides, my father might be abusive, but he's still my father. I can't just get rid of him like that. Besides…my mother isn't that bad. She actually doesn't beat me at all."

"Miku…just let us call the authorities! We can sort this out! I _promise_." She said exasperatedly.

"No! I can handle it. Please don't throw him in jail. He's a human being, and all humans, like you and me, always make mistakes!"

IA grinded her teeth together. "Miku, what's wrong with you?! You've been unconscious for a whole day! All the time, you were mumbling in you sleep, 'Stop! Please stop! It hurts!' This is UNACCEPTABLE! Do you have any idea how hard Dad tried to nurse you back to health, even though he's a doctor? He said that you almost died! Why, Miku? WHY WON'T YOU TRUST US?" she pleaded, tears filling up her eyes.

The bedroom door opened, and a soft voice said, "IA, calm down. She's probably still in a daze, after all that she's been through. Please leave the room for now; I have to check up on her wounds."

IA grumbled, "Fine," and left the room, after closing the door.

I blinked up at the kind face of Dell Yowane, IA's father. If only _my _dad was like that.

With quick, gentle hands, he unwrapped my bandages and rubbed ointment on my wounds. After he was done, he put new bandages on and put away his medical tools.

"Listen…IA's right. You have to let us call the police. Child abuse is a crime and violation of human rights, Miku. Why won't you let us help you?" he looked straight into my eyes, seeming to gaze all the way down into my soul.

_"LIAR! You wanted to go to that worthless friend of yers, eh? Wanted to call the police? Call them! Call them, and the last thing I'll do is scar yer pretty little face so badly that she'll never wanna look at you again! No, how 'bout I scar her face! I can burn her house and kill her parents!"_

"…" I tensed up, trying to keep from crying.

"…So what? He wouldn't _dare_ to just attack us, would he? We live in a gated community with an elite security system, and he's fully aware of that," Mr. Yowane said, as if reading my mind. He must have figured out that the reason I couldn't report this to the authorities was because his family was endangered.

"Still…he's my family. I can't just give up on him like that." I insisted.

He sighed, "I knew you would say that. Anyway, for now, we won't call the police. _Yet. _I'm pretty sure that he's too scared to do anything at the moment, since he knows that we can report at any time."

Mr. Yowane grabbed his medical kit and got up. At the door, he paused, and looked back. "By the way, you're living in our house for now, like it or not. IA said that she would share her room with you. You should stay inside for at least a week, and then go back to school, if possible. Other people might find out, so if they ask, say you had the stomach flu. Haku and IA will come at dinnertime and help you eat." He shut the door.

Touched at this family and its kindness toward me, I started crying. They cared for me so much, yet I always pushed them away. Was I selfish? Did I deserve to be abused?

Remembering IA and her parent's tender smiles, I shook my head slightly. I would be selfish to push them away now. They loved me like a family member, so I would become a family member and love them back.

Satisfied with this thought, I drifted into a peaceful, deep sleep.

* * *

><p><strong>Ha! If anyone thought that Miku liked Len and was jealous of Rin, YOU WERE WRONG! MIKU'S AWESOME!<strong>

**So yeah, IA's her best friend and in 9th grade. Dell is her dad and Haku is her mom. I have no idea who Miku's dad is, but her mom is Meiko.**

**YAY this was the easiest chapter I've ever written! XD Strangely, I enjoyed the violent part; it was fun...**

**Please review, everyone, and stay tuned for Chapter 6! Thank you!**

**~Rikasa**


	6. Chapter 6

**Hi peeps! Let's get this chapter started!**

**DISCLAIMER: If I owned Vocaloid, the world would end. But the world hasn't ended. Yet...**

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><p><span><strong>Chapter 6<strong>

**Rin's POV:**

I smiled as I walked home from school, excited and expectant. Finally, my father would be back from his three-week-long business trip. His work always took him from dawn to late at night, sometimes oversees, and I would barely see him at home. Today, though, I would have a chance. Although we never acted particularly close to each other, I missed him and wanted to talk to him about many things.

I opened the front door of the house, and called out, "I'm home, Dad!"Only to be greeted by silence.

Confused, I walked up to the kitchen table, and saw a thick envelope on it.

Slitting it open, I pulled out a single sheet of paper. I read the thin, spidery handwriting on it over and over again, not quite believing what it said.

_Rin,_

_Many people in our company have been fired, and the few left remaining, including me, must double our efforts to maintain our business' outstanding reputation. _

_I must take another business trip to Japan**(1)**, and it will take two months._

_I hope that you're doing well in school. Remember to do your homework every day and study for tests. Don't do anything dangerous in my absence._

_I've paid all of the bills and taxes needed for the house, and I've given you $300 dollars of cash for food and other necessities. I'm pretty sure that, with this money, you can make it through these two months, assuming you don't waste it on anything else. _

_Dad_

That was all he wrote. Not, "Miss you, can't wait to see you again," or "Love, dad." Maybe he was too exhausted to write anything else.

Taking everything else out of the envelope, I saw that, true to his word, my father _did _give me $300 in cash. Only.

How was I going to make it through with only this much money? $300 _**(2)**_seemed like a lot, but money depleted very easily. Doing the math, I would have to spend $6.25 each day or less. However, food wasn't the only thing that was essential for me to stay alive.

Looking on the optimistic side, I had plenty of money in my lunch account at school, so lunch would be taken care of, five days a week. Also, the refrigerator and toilet-paper supply of the house was full for now, so hopefully, I wouldn't have to worry about _those _for a while. Since I was already fifteen, I could also get a job as a waitress at a restaurant. If worst came to worst, I could even sell some of the furniture at my house.

Wearily, I went to the fridge and looked for something to eat for supper, while wishing that my life was different. Something, or someone, seemed to be missing. I had no idea who or what they were, but I needed them. Very much.

* * *

><p>My footsteps echoed on the concrete pavement, and the metal gates of the cemetery were ice cold. It was a foggy day, and to me it seemed that not one living thing stirred outside. Holding a bouquet of fresh roses, I stepped inside the graveyard and looked for a certain tombstone.<p>

For years, when I was younger, my father would visit the cemetery every day. Sometimes I accompanied him; sometimes, I didn't. However, he always went to the same, expensive-looking tombstone with the words:

LILY AKITA

1980-2005_** (3)**_

AS A LOVING MOTHER, BEAUTIFUL WIFE, AND CARING FRIEND, MAY SHE REST IN PEACE.

I had no idea who Lily Akita was, how my father knew her, or how she passed away. But I did know that my father was heartbroken because of her death.

As his work started to demand more time and energy, my father gradually started visiting less and less, until he stopped altogether. But when he thought no one was watching, I always saw a wistful expression on his face, as if wishing he could visit her.

Determined to fulfill my father's wishes, I started to visit the grave myself. Even though I had no idea who she was, I placed flowers on her grave and prayed for her every weekend, in my father's place. Although my father seemed to care nothing for me except my brains and talent, I still loved him, and wished to do everything I could to keep him happy. He never seemed to realize that I visited the grave, though, and I could never muster up enough courage to tell him.

He was my only parent for as long as I could remember. I knew that at one point in my life, I must have had a mother. But whenever I asked him about her, he always brushed me off coolly and changed the subject.

Carefully setting the flowers on the grave, I slowly knelt on my knees in front of the tombstone and closed my eyes. Clasping my hands together, I whispered, "Whoever it is that is missing from my life, please come back. I don't know who or even what you are, but I need you," hoping that my request would reach the ears of whomever I was talking to. I knew that it seemed stupid, but I was desperate for answers.

Suddenly, I felt the air grow warmer. The rigid, bare ground beneath my knees turned into soft grass. Hesitantly opening my eyes, I stood up and confusedly looked around. I found myself in a small, circular park on a sunny day, with a single slide, two swings, and a wooden bench. The place seemed oddly recognizable, but at the same time, it felt distant and ominous.

In the park was a family of three, with as much happiness emitting from them as heat from a burning stove. Their laughter filled the park, and their smiles were simple and friendly.

Sitting on the right swing was a little girl. She looked about three years old, her carefree expression full of nothing but youth and innocence. Her free blond hair flowed behind her and her bright-turquoise eyes sparkled with delight. With every swing, the little girl giggled merrily, her rosy cheeks flushing. Pushing her was a young man in his early twenties, with pale blonde hair. He turned his head to the left to exchange smiles with a beautiful young woman seated on the other swing. She had sweeping, golden hair that flowed all the way down to her waist, with casual bangs that fell into her electric-blue eyes.

There was a shimmering quality in the atmosphere that made me think this was a vision. Perhaps it was a hallucination, too. But although it was a happy scene, I felt my heart shatter into pieces. As tears filled my eyes, threatening to spill over, I gazed at the family longingly. When was the last time that _I_ had been that joyful? I didn't have a mother, and my father didn't even love me! Oh, how lucky was that little girl to grow up in such a loving family. I hoped that she would never be lonely, and that her family would keep on loving her forever.

When was the last time I had reflected on my past? Unlike most teenagers my age, I didn't remember anything about when I was five years old or younger.

As I watched the family in the park, they disappeared. White mist filled the park, and when it cleared away, I was in a completely different place. It was a vast field of knee-length grass. The sun, now an orange orb low in the sky, washed everything in a golden light, making a breathtakingly magical sight. Hearing laughter near me, I turned around, just in time to see two small children run past me. Even though the grass was waist-deep for them, they moved with ease, as though they had played on this field many times before. One of them was a girl, the exact same one as in my first vision. Only this time, she was about four or five years old, and she wore a floppy white bow on her head. Running alongside her was a young boy of the same age. He had golden-blonde hair, tied up in a small ponytail, and deep-blue eyes that looked like the ocean. Holding hands with the girl, he pointed at the sunset and grinned. Both of their expressions were completely free of any worries, and I could almost sense the unwavering trust between them. As they ran off into the distance, the sound of their innocent, pure laughter faded.

I almost started to run after them, when the scene changed once again. This time, it was a dark, gloomy hospital room. There was a bed in the center, and three adults crowded around it. I recognized that two of them were the young man and woman I had seen in my first vision. Only this time, they were not happy. Looking at the third adult, I realized that he was a doctor, holding a clipboard and wearing a grim expression on his face. Peeking around this group, I saw the person lying on the bed, and gasped. It was the young girl, unconscious and with her head wrapped in blood-stained bandages.

Turning to the adults, I realized that they seemed to be arguing with one another. But this vision, unlike the last two, had no sound.

The doctor seemed to be reporting about the young girls' injuries. The young man shook his head in a desperate manner, and the young woman burst into tears. She tried to get closer to the girl, but the doctor stopped her, and said something else. This upset the woman even more, and she seemed to call out the girl's name. Stirring, the girl's eyelids fluttered open, and she blinked confusedly at the scene in front of her. The doctor, taken aback, let the woman run to the bed and throw her arms around the girl's weak shoulders. But the girl pushed her away and spoke three words. This, I could hear clearly. So clearly, in fact, that they resonated through my mind and dazed me.

"Who are you?" the girl asked.

I never saw the woman's reaction. The scene faded, and I was in the graveyard again, staring at the tombstone. I was kneeling on the ground, in the exact same position from before I "left" the graveyard, and the sky didn't seem to have changed one bit. Expect for the tears that flowed down my face, it could have never happened.

Sighing, I placed the flowers on the grave, turned around, and slowly walked away.

* * *

><p><em><strong>(1) <strong>_**Yes, this story takes place in America. Not Japan.**

_**(2) **_**I actually looked up the average grocery bill for an American. For young women, it's $200-$300 EACH month. Poor Rin, she might actually starve!**

_**(3) **_**This story's time setting is 2015. Rin is 15, so she was born in 2000. Lily Akita was born in 1980 and died in 2005, when she was 25. Also, when Lily died, Rin was 5. Notice that Rin said she doesn't remember anything from when she was 5 or younger. (wink, wink)**

**Wow, that was long! Sorry if it was boring, but I had lots of fun! :D**

**Please review, everyone, and stay tuned for Chapter 7! Thank you!**

**~Rikasa**


	7. Chapter 7

**'Sup, peep! Read and enjoy! :D**

**DISCLAIMER: I don't own Vocaloid or any of the characters. WHAT DO YOU WANT FROM ME, _HUH_?!**

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><p><span><strong>Chapter 7<strong>

**Len's POV:**

"Okay, here's the plan! If we start shopping right now, we might be able to buy enough gifts for Luka before lunch. Then we'll beat Gackupo to it!" Neru said.

Luka-nee's birthday was the next day. Neru wanted to throw a birthday party for her, as well as give Luka more gifts than her fiercely devoted boyfriend, Gackupo. The two teenagers were now in a fierce competition to see who would buy more gifts for the pink-haired girl. And somehow, Neru managed to drag me into this battle.

Scanning the immense shopping list, I sighed in utter defeat. We had exactly two and a half hours to buy forks, plates, napkins, cups, a cake, jewelry, books, an umbrella, new pairs of shoes, jeans, a computer, a cell phone, a cell phone cover, a play station, hair accessories, stuffed animals, tuna fish, and about a million other things. It looked like Gackupo had it in for him this year.

Right after thinking that, I felt my cell phone vibrate. Pulling it out, I saw that it was a text from Gackupo.

**TO: Kagamine Len**

**FROM: Kamui Gackupo**

**Tell Neru to surrender. I will buy more and better gifts for Luka this year, and conquer the world. MUHAHAHAHA!**

Yes, according to him, buying good gifts for his girlfriend was the same as conquering the world.

* * *

><p>As Neru and I were walking down the last aisle of the final shop we were buying gifts at, an awkward silence came. Out of the corner of my eye, I felt my older sister study me intently.<p>

"Len…after all this time, are you still feeling guilty about Ted?" Neru asked abruptly.

Raising my head up, I locked eyes with my sister. Her amber-gold eyes gazed piercingly at me, and it almost seemed as if she could see straight through me into my soul.

Feeling a trickle of sweat run down the back of my neck, I turned the other way, so I wasn't facing her anymore.

"…"

"…"

"Len, why do you blame yourself? It wasn't your fault! I'm sure that if he were still here, he wouldn't want you to think this way," Neru put a hand on my shoulder and turned me back around.

I opened my mouth, and then closed it again. My voice wouldn't work.

Kasane Ted and Neru were so happy together. Unlike most teenage couples, their relationship, unexplainably, seemed more…stable and deep. One could tell, just by looking at them, that they would always love each other. If only Ted were still alive, he and Neru would have so much potential to their future lives together. But he was gone now. Thanks to me…

I clenched my fists at my side, to hide my trembling.

Neru seemed to notice my anguish. Just as she started to say something, I suddenly smelled smoke in the air. Apparently, she sensed it too, and looked around confusedly.

RING RING RING! All of a sudden, the fire alarm started blaring, flashing red lights across the shop. Then came the panicked murmurs of the shoppers.

"Attention, everyone! A fire has started in Aisle H, and is spreading rapidly. Please proceed quickly and calmly to the exit, near Aisle A."

Neru and I locked eyes, and paled. We were in Aisle N. The air was already starting to heat up and become smoky already.

At the same time, my sister and I started to sprint toward the exit, but we were too late. A large cabinet fell over, blocking our progress. Before we could turn around the other way, more beams fell down around us. They formed a sort of cage, trapping us in as the fire spread closer and closer.

"We can't get through!" I yelled over the crackling of the fire.

"Try to find an opening!" Neru shouted back, than started coughing due to the thick smoke. "If you look carefully over there, there's a small hole!" she croaked, pointing behind me.

I turned around and saw that, indeed, there was an opening. It was extremely small, though, and it was doubtful that we could get through.

"You should go first. You're shorter, after all," Neru urged.

"But-"

"Len," she gripped my shoulders suddenly and looked me in the eyes. "No matter what happens, remember that I'm always with you. I'm your sister, I'm proud of it, and I will always love you. So don't blame yourself for anything that might happen. Live on!" her voice cracked, from emotion or from smoke, I couldn't tell. Tears formed at the corners of her eyes, but she smiled a brilliant smile and gestured for me to leave.

Gingerly getting down on my knees, I climbed through the hole. It was a tight fit, but I managed to squeeze through. As soon as I got to the other side, I straightened up, then immediately bent over with a fit of raking coughs.

The air was black with smoke now, causing my eyes to sting painfully. The fire was getting close. And Neru was still trapped.

"Neru!" I screamed.

"The hole's too small! I-I can't get through!" my sister's voice said, interrupted by a series of hacking coughs.

"Try again!" I insisted.

The sound of something heavy crashing down near Neru's location caused me to flinch terribly.

"Neru! NERU! NER-"

I received no answer.

The air blackened, and I choked on the smoke. Eyes watering, I clutched my stomach in pain and gasped for air. Slowly collapsing to the ground, I whispered, "Neru…."

The last thing I remembered before losing consciousness was someone yelling, "I found a survivor!" and large, heavy hands lifting up my limp body.

* * *

><p><strong>Me: *munches casually on some delicious potato chips*<strong>

**"...what?"**

**Len: *raises a knife***

**Me: "AGH! I'm sorry, 'k?! Just don't murder me, please!"**

**Len: *without a word, turns and stomps away, still holding knife***

**Me: "Ah, well. I'm going to bed now. Thanks for not killing me...yet." O.o**

**Please review, everyone, and stay tuned for Chapter 8! Thank you!**

**~Rikasa**


	8. Chapter 8

**Yo. How's it goin'?**

**DISCLAIMER: I DON'T OWN VOCALOID, OKAY? HAPPY? Sheesh.**

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><p><strong>Chapter 8<strong>

**Len's POV:**

"Kagamine-san…Kagamine-san, are you okay?" a girl's voice jolted me from my dazed thoughts.

I rubbed my eyes, still feeling numb from the shock of losing my older sister. _Neru, I miss you…_

"Kagamine-san!"

"H-huh? I'm fine, sorry," I muttered.

Kagane brushed a lock of blonde hair out of her face, and tugged on her floppy white bow nervously. Fixing me with a concerned look, she said, "Are you still depressed from your sister's…passing? She wouldn't like to see you like this, you know."

It was a few weeks after the fire. Expected to return to my normal life and school activities, I was running an errand with Kagane-san. Our foggy breaths filled the chilly evening air as we walked down the sidewalk together.

Swallowing down a lump in my throat, I forced a smile and said, "I'm fine, just a little tired. Now, which way are we supposed to go? Is it down that street over there?"

Kagane seemed to sense that I was changing the subject deliberately, so she nodded and picked up the pace. After some time of walking silently alongside each other, I tried to break the awkward atmosphere and said, "You know...it's actually not that late. If we finish this errand quickly enough, before dinner, we can go to a café and have a snack. Maybe you can even come to my house and meet my parents."

Abruptly, Kagane stopped and stared at me, as I started to realize what else my suggestion could be interpreted as. Also stopping and turning to face her, I returned the stare. Her striking turquoise eyes widened, and her blonde hair swirled upward in a breeze. Our breaths fogging the air of the large space between us, neither of us could say anything.

Gazing deep into her eyes, I was suddenly swept into the past, by a long-forgotten memory from my childhood.

"_If you want, you can come visit my home," a five-year-old boy said. He was at a playground, sitting on the swings with a young girl of the same age. He sat on the left swing, and she sat on the right, with an unnecessarily wide space between them._

_The girl turned her head towards him and her eyes widened. A soft breeze blew by and lifted up her blonde hair, and she smiled happily._

Blinking rapidly, I stammered, "I-I'm sorry, I just…"

"N-no, it's fine! If you want me to, I would love to go with you to a café or visit your house. Just not today, since my dad is coming back from a business trip. I-I want to be at home and welcome him back with a delicious meal! I mean, it's not like I don't want to come. Well, I don't mean that I want to-ah never mind. We can text each other later. If-if you still want to." Kagane blurted out in one huge breath, as a deep red blush spread over her face.

* * *

><p>We walked onto the street at the intersection. The cars on either side almost seemed to wait for us, but with apprehension. Something wasn't right. Cold sweat trickled down the back of my neck and I thought about warning Kagane.<p>

But I was too late.

It was just like before, just as sudden, just as sad. And if I didn't pay enough attention this time, the result would be like before, too.

Gasping, Kagane stared at me in horror, and I realized with a start that I was right in the middle of the uncontrollable car's path. In a single, tense moment, she shoved me aside. But now, Kagane herself was going to get hit.

There wasn't enough time for her to dodge or run, only to wait.

"RIN!" I screamed, as I saw her close her eyes and brace for the fatal strike. Why did I just call her that? I wasn't very close to her, not close enough to call her by her first name, much less without an honorable suffix. My heart pounded like a drum, as I was swept into the past once again, by more memories this time.

* * *

><p><em>"Rin! RIN!"<em>

_Tears streamed down the five-year-old's face as he watched his best friend get struck. He screamed her name in horror, feeling helpless. The little girl had pushed him out of the way, and took the hit for herself. The white car, now stained red with blood, abruptly stopped. As the headlights flashed, the little girl crumpled to the ground, unconscious._

…

_In the hospital, a young woman gazed at her injured daughter on the bed, lying deathly still and barely breathing. Her husband, standing behind her, tried to put a hand on her shoulder, but she brushed him off. Instead, she buried her face in her hands and started sobbing uncontrollably._

_Tentatively opening the door a crack, a young boy peeked in, followed by his grim-faced parents._

"_I-Is Rin okay?" he inquired in a quavering voice._

_Ceasing her sobs, the young woman slowly raised her gaze to him, and held it for three heart stopping moments._

"_Why did you do this?" she whispered. "What did she ever do to you?"_

"_I-I-I'm sorry! Rin saved me! I didn't meant to-"_

"_You almost killed her." These words, softly spoken but full of venom, pierced the young boy's heart as if she had stabbed him. He started to cry, and his parents gazed at the woman in disbelief._

"_Lily! Don't say that!" her husband tried to calm her down, but she ignored him coldly._

"_You have no right to be her friend. You almost killed her." The woman repeated, now trembling with fury._

_Gritting his teeth, the boy suddenly turned around and ran. His parents looked helplessly at the woman one last time, before shutting the door and leaving._

…

"_Ever since the accident, he has been showing signs of being depressed. This cannot continue! Just look at him; he's only five years old, for heaven's sake!" the boy's mother said in frustration. She and her son were in a hospital check up room with a doctor, with the boy sitting on the bed._

"_Are you still in contact with his friend's family?" the doctor asked, eyebrows furrowing._

"_Her mother has shut us out! She still blames him for what happened!"_

"_Well…I'm sorry to say that I can't control your social life. But as a doctor, it is my responsibility to ensure that he remains in strong physical and mental health. You very well know how I have to solve problems like this."_

"_Yes, I see that it's necessary. Go ahead, then." _

_The doctor nodded curtly, and turned to the boy, who recoiled in fright._

"_W-What are you going to do to me?!"_

"_Relax," the doctor said in a soothing voice. "This might hurt a little bit, but afterwards, you'll be strong, healthy, and happy. Everything will be perfect."_

"_Will I get to see Rin again?"_

"…_Yes." The doctor pulled out a large syringe filled with a clear liquid. The boy reluctantly held out his arm, and it was injected. After a few moments, his eyes closed and he fell off the bed, unconscious, into his mother's arms._

…

"_Len, didn't you used to know a girl called Rin?"_

"_Did I?"_

"_I'm talking about your friend from when you were five! Do you still talk to her?"_

"…_I had a lot of friends when I was five. But I'm pretty sure I didn't know anyone called Rin."_

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><p>How could I? How could I have forgotten my dear, childhood friend? And after she sacrificed her life for me, too…<p>

But she survived. Kagane Rin…was the exact same person I used to play with when I was little.

And finally, the buried, neglected memories resurfaced.

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><p><strong>I'm in my sadistic mode! I'm in my evil mode! I'm in crazy mode! MUHAHAHA! I SHALL CONQUER THE WORLD!<strong>

**Rin: Um...I think she went crazy.**

**Len: Since when was she _not _crazy?!**

**Please review, everyone, and stay tuned for Chapter 9! Thank you! MUAHAHAHAHA!**

**~Rikasa**


	9. Chapter 9

**Hello, fellow otakus and awesome people! Welcome to...the land of Memories! (LOL)**

**Ahahahaha...this chapter might be a little confusing/crappy. If you think so, feel free to tell me so in your reviews, but GENTLY, PLEASE! Sowwy... XD**

**DISCLAIMER: Vocaloid ain't owned by moi, and sadly never will. :( Probably. :)**

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><p><strong>Chapter 9<strong>

**Rin's POV:**

"RIN!" Kagamine screamed, his voice choked with panic. Why did he call me that? I wasn't very close to him, not close enough to have him call me by my first name, much less without an honorable suffix.

I closed my eyes and braced for the fatal strike. But it never came…

Tentatively opening my eyes and looking around, I saw that everything was still. The car, only inches away from me, had stopped. Unnaturally silent, the air had an almost ethereal tinge to it.

"H-hello? What happened?" my voice echoed ominously. I looked at Kagamine and the other pedestrians on the sidewalk, and realized with shock that each and every one of them was frozen like a statue. Glancing up at the sky, I saw a flock of birds in mid air, their wings completely still. Yet they were still aloft…

What happened? Was I frozen in time? Or was I dead?

My heart started to pound, and voices whispered in my head. A long-lost memory resurfaced, and I realized it was my last memory of my mother, Lily Kagane, before I got amnesia.

"_Mommy, can Len and I go play?"_

"_Well, it's getting a little late…"_

"_Please! I promise we won't go farther than past the grocery shop."_

"_That's fine. Be back for dinner, make sure to look both ways before crossing the street-if you do-and watch out for cars."_

"_Okay!"_

"…_Be careful, Rin."_

The last three words echoed through my mind over and over again. All of the memories of my earliest childhood flashed before my eyes, and my breath caught in wonder.

I remembered…

"_Happy fourth birthday, Rin! We love you! Now blow out the candles and make a wish!"_

…That I used to have a loving, complete family, and my biggest wish was that it would last forever.

"_Rin, it looks like we have new neighbors. I've heard that they have a son that's your age. Maybe you can become friends!"_

…That Kagamine and I used to be best friends when we were five. But I always knew him as 'Len'…

"_Rin! RIN!"_

…That I got hit with a car, and my mother blamed Len for it…

"_Rin! Rin, are you alright?!"_

"_Who are you?"_

…That ever since the accident, I didn't remember a single thing about my family or Len.

…

Ever since I lost my memories, I was stuck in time, like now, trying to find a way out. And now, I could finally move on.

Right before time started to move again, I caught a glimpse of a young woman with long blonde hair and beautiful, electric-blue eyes. Oddly, she wasn't frozen like the rest of the people, and she seemed to smile at me.

_Could it be? Was she…my mother?_

Then she disappeared, and the car that was about to hit me started to move again, along with everything else.

However, since it was time itself that had stopped, everything seemed to happen in slow motion at first. This gave me just enough time to dodge the strike of the car. I took a great leap sideways, and went sprawling onto the rough ground, which gave me raw cuts on my hands and knees.

Len stared at me in shock for my impossibly fast jump, than he smiled with relief.

"…Kagane-san, are you hurt?" So, was he back to calling me by my last name now? Maybe when he called me Rin, it was an accident. It was quite strange, though. _He_ wasn't the one who had amnesia, but he probably forgot that we used to be childhood friends.

"No, I'm fine. I just…is it okay if I-"

I was cut off by loud, pounding footsteps, and someone grabbing me by my shoulder.

"Rin, what happened? As soon as I got out of the car, I heard a huge commotion. Are you alright?" my father asked anxiously, fresh from the airport and dressed in a business suit.

"I'm fine, I'm fine." I muttered.

He looked me up and down, raising his eyebrows at the cuts on my hands and knees. As his eyes slid over me to meet Len's, his expression changed from concern to one of utmost terror.

"Y-you…" he raised a trembling finger and pointed at the boy, whose face had become equally pale.

"Dad, what's wrong? He's my friend from school, Kagamine-san. Do you know him?" I asked, playing dumb.

"It's getting late, we should go home." Dad nodded curtly at Len, grabbed my fallen schoolbag, and set off at a brisk pace, forcing me to follow.

* * *

><p>The crickets chirped serenely, staying hidden in the shadows. Walking quickly, I gripped the bouquet of lilies tightly and looked behind me.<p>

"Rin…this is a waste of time. Why do you want to visit the cemetery so much?" my father scolded.

Stopping and turning around, I tilted my head in confusion. "Didn't you used to come here a lot?"

"…"

"…"

"…I moved on with my life. It's not good to stay fixated on the past."

Starting to walk again, I entered the graveyard and scanned it. "Ah, here it is! Lily Kagane's grave."

Dad recoiled in shock. "Y-you remember? After all this time…"

I frowned, having just heard my strict, business-like father stutter for the first time. "After _what_ time? And why wouldn't I remember my own mother?"

"Exactly how much do you remember?" he demanded.

Starting to become annoyed, I placed the flowers on the grave and crossed my arms. "To be specific, I remember exactly as much as someone who _just recently _recovered from _amnesia_ should. No thanks to you."

Dad gritted his teeth and stepped forward. "When did you get back your memories? And why didn't you tell me?"

My eyes widened with anger. "You were on a _super_ important business trip! What did you say? 'It's for the best,' huh? And all this time, you didn't bother to tell me a single thing about my past! Was that also for the best?"

"Yes, it _was _for the best! You just don't understand!"

"Exactly! I don't understand a single thing! First, why didn't you comfort Mom when she was worried about me? Why did you let her cut off our friendship with the Kagamines? AND WHY DIDN'T YOU PROTECT HER?" I yelled, trembling with fury.

Dad was speechless for a moment. Then, his face clouded with anguish. "You remember _everything_, don't you? Do you remember what your first words were to your poor mother when you woke up from the accident? 'Who are you?' Do you have any idea how much pain this caused her?! YOU FORGOT ABOUT YOUR OWN MOTHER!"

Now, it was my turn to become speechless. I held up shaking hands and rubbed my forehead.

He still had more to say. "For months, she tried to stay strong. Lily dedicated every waking moment to taking care of you. And yet, you viewed her as a stranger. This broke her on the inside, but she continued smiling for you."

Tears started to stream down my face, and I tugged on the bow on top of my head. Why was I crying? Wasn't this what I wanted? I kept on asking my father to tell me the truth, and now he was. But did I really want to know…?

Dad lowered his head, with shadows obscuring his eyes. "Suicide. That is the result of someone pretending they're happy for too long," he whispered.

I took such a sharp intake of breath and started to tremble so violently that the bow dropped off my head and onto the ground, right in front of Mom's tombstone. Staring at the man who had kept such a tragic fact from me for so long, I realized that he probably hated me. Surely, he wished me dead, to pay for my mother's life.

I tried to say something, but my throat constricted painfully. Not daring to meet my father's eyes, I turned around and ran away.

I had no idea where I was going, or when I would get there. The only thing I knew was that I was running away.

_Away from my long-lost, newly found memories._

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><p><strong>And...we are finished!<strong>

**YAY! Rin is finally calling-well, thinking of-Len as 'Len,' not 'Kagamine.' That's a sign of closeness and trust, peeps! (oooohhhhh)**

**Yes, that was Lily's ghost. And yes, Lily froze time and gave Rin a chance to jump out of the way of the stupid car.**

**HERE'S THE QUESTION OF THE DAY: What type of person do you think Lily is? (ex: kind, overprotective, sad, strong, happy) Also, what type of person do you WANT Lily to be? PLEASE TELL ME IN YOUR REVIEWS! I will read your answers and try to write the next chapter according to your opinions. *wink, wink***

**Please review, everyone, and stay tuned for Chapter 10! Thank you!**

**~Rikasa**


	10. Chapter 10

**Hi. I'm not bored. I'm excited about this chapter. I really am. Like, seriously. I will go into hyper mode in 5, 4, 3, 2, 1...**

**HIHIHIHI PEEPS! XD OKAY, THIS MIGHT BE A LITTLE SHORT! BUT I'M STILL EXCITED! :D YAYYYYYYY~**

**Since you guys (people who reviewed) helped me out by giving your opinions on what Lily should be like-kind, strong, overprotective, loving-I've decided to give you a special treat: A SPRINKLE OF RINXLEN FLUFFINESS AT THE END! Just a little, since I said I'd be taking it slowly enough to last through the following two sequels. BUT STILL! 3**

**Disclaimer: Roses are red, and violets are blue. I ain't own Vocaloid, and neither do you! Maybe.**

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><p><strong>Chapter 10<strong>

**Rin's POV:**

_If only I hadn't ran away…_

_I had so much I wanted to say…_

_To my mother…but she was gone…_

_To my father…but I couldn't bear to face him anymore…_

_To Len…but what if he didn't remember me?_

_...I'm sorry._

I was standing in the middle of the park from my childhood, with my back to the swings. It was late at night, and a single, lonely streetlamp flickered in the distant.

"You used to love to play here. Remember?" A voice said tenderly.

I whirled around, and saw someone sitting on one of the swings. It was like seeing a mirror image of myself, but a thousand times more beautiful.

Her electric blue eyes twinkled with friendliness, and, like mine, they were large and framed with thick lashes. Beautiful golden hair tumbled down her waist and shone in the moonlight. The woman wore no shoes; only a simple, pure white dress that swept to her ankles. I could smell the faint, sweet fragrant of lilies. A soft glow seemed to emanate from her and light up the shadowy park. She looked just like an angel.

"Mom…" I whispered.

A small smile tugged at the corner of her lips, making her even more beautiful, if possible. "Rin, you've grown."

Trembling, I stood there staring at her. She was the woman who caused Len and me to split apart. She was the one who caused my father to become so grim and lonely. And yet…

She was the woman who loved me the most in the world. She was the woman who took care of me when I was in trouble. And she committed suicide. Because of me.

Gasping, I suddenly knelt down on the earthen ground. Bowing my head, I refused to look her in the eyes. "I-I'm sorry. I'm so, so sorry…" I turned away from her and buried my face in my hands.

My mother was silent for three tense moments. Then, she slid of the swing, and in one smooth movement, glided over and put a hand on my shoulder.

"Rin…I'm sorry too. I made terrible mistakes. Because of my faults, you…"

Finally looking into her eyes, I saw glistening tears that sparkled like stars.

An understanding seemed to pass between us, silent yet clearly obvious. Both of us had made mistakes, and that separated us from our family and friends. It was those mistakes…that created solid barriers between us that even death itself couldn't penetrate through.

But even though we couldn't change the past, we had to do the best with what we had.

My mother had come here just to show me that mistakes mustn't be tolerated; they had to be fixed. And she was right, so how could I just ignore her?

"Rin…over the years, how has Oliver been?" Mom asked.

"…" I lowered my head in guilt.

"Listen…don't let you and your father drift apart. You love each other; you're family! It might be that you have fights, but…Rin, I don't want you to ever be lonely again."

"M-mom…"

"You…you have a wonderful father, and wonderful friends. While you still have them with you, enjoy your time together. It's true that friends often drift apart, as well as family members, but you should always remember them, no matter what. Always, always cherish the precious memories of your loved ones, Rin, and appreciate them while they are still with you. That is what I have come to say."

With a lump in my throat, I nodded to show that I understood.

Smiling kindly, she handed me a long white ribbon. My eyes widened; this was the ribbon I had dropped on her grave earlier when I had the fight with my father.

"Rin…I love you. Remember that, no matter what, I'll always be with you." I looked back up in her direction, but she was gone.

…

Suddenly, I opened my eyes and looked around wildly. I was sitting on the hard, cold bench on the edge of the park. The place was completely empty. Silence seemed to press on my ears as I slowly started to stand up. Was it all a dream?

I glanced down, and saw that in my right hand, was a long white ribbon. The very same ribbon that I had dropped on the grave and got back in the dream.

_Creak, Creak. _The swing that my mother sat on in my dream moved very slightly. With a strange warmth spreading through my body, I silently vowed to always remember my mother's words.

Then, I saw a boy running towards me.

He reached me, and for a long moment, we only stared at each other in silence. His blonde, windblown hair swept casually into his face, yet his relaxed air gave him an atmosphere of elegance, making him look like a handsome prince from a fairy tale.

I could tell, by the look in his striking ocean-blue eyes, that he remembered me. Not just as his classmate or acquaintance at school, but as his long lost childhood friend. Gently clasping my hands in his warm, soft ones, Len smiled. Looking at his face, I felt like all of my worries were being washed away with sunshine.

"Le…Kagamine-san," I mumbled, with a crimson blush spreading over my face.

"It's been a long time…Rin." Len leaned forward and wrapped me in a warm embrace. My whole face felt on fire, and my heart nearly jumped out of my chest. After a moment of shock, I sighed in content and hugged him back.

Everything that needed to be said was already said. Our frozen time had finally started to move again…

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><p><strong>AWWWW LENNERS HUGGED RINNY-KINS! Not Miku. Not Neru. Not Tei. RIIIINNNNNNNNN! XD :) 3<strong>

**Yeah, yeah, I know the part with Lily being all "cherish your time with your friends as they create precious memories" was kind of cheesy, but...it's actually genuine advice. It doesn't just apply to this story; it has to do with everyday life. Never take anything for granted; but always enjoy your life, friends, and family to the fullest. So if one day, you lose them, you won't go like "NOOO I should've gotten to know them better" you'll be like "I'll remember you forever, always love you. THANK YOU!"**

**Ah, me and my philosophical ranting...**

**Please review, everyone, and stay tuned for Chapter 11! Thank you!**

**~Rikasa**

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><p><strong>Announcement: Due to my violin competitions, school exams, and homework, I will have to put this fanfiction on a temporary pause, because I know I'll be too busy to update every week. I <em>may or may not<em> still have the chance to update every once in a while, just not as often as before. So, from _AROUND LATE APRIL-JUNE_ (I'm not sure yet) I probably won't update more. Sorry, but I'm too busy. :( But once summer begins, I promise that I will update often! :)**


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